Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed fresh ballistic missile and drone strikes on Saudi targets overnight, while the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed Houthi missiles heading for the Khamis Mushait airbase, as the escalating Houthi–Saudi conflict entered its most dangerous phase yet.
FAKTA
- Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed in a statement on Tuesday that the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, calling the strike “precise”, and hit Khamis Mushait Air Base with a drone, calling it a “direct hit”.
- Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said the coalition had “intercepted and destroyed” two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait on Tuesday.
- Al-Malki separately said a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh on Monday evening was intercepted and destroyed; residents of the Saudi capital reported hearing explosions and receiving government mobile alerts.
- Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said a Pakistani resident was killed and 11 others injured in a strike targeting the airport on Sunday afternoon, and extended the suspension of operations at the airport.
- US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the Houthis were “misbehaving very badly”, but gave no indication that Washington would intervene.
Overnight Claims and Interceptions
The latest round of claims began on Monday evening, when Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had launched a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport, claiming the missile “accurately hit” the target, and a drone attack on the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, claiming a direct hit. Xinhua reported Saree’s Monday evening statement.
The Saudi-led coalition said its forces had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh on Monday evening. Explosions were heard in the Saudi capital around the time of the reported attack, and residents received alerts through mobile apps.
Early on Tuesday, the coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two more ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the Khamis Mushait airbase. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki announced the interceptions in a post on X. Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence agency issued an alert asking residents of Khamis Mushait Governorate to remain vigilant, later saying the danger had passed.
Saree renewed the Houthi warning to international airlines and travellers to avoid Saudi airports, claiming they were unsafe — except for airports and airspace in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Sunday Strike and Airport Shutdown
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said on Monday that a Pakistani resident was killed and 11 others were injured in a strike targeting the airport on Sunday afternoon. The authority extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport, which has been closed since the deadly Saturday attack.
The Saturday strike killed 12 people and wounded 309 others, according to the civil aviation authority. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh later confirmed that an Indian national died of injuries sustained in the attack. The strike was the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in more than a decade.
Read more on the wider conflict in Watan News World.
Wider Escalation on Both Sides
The Houthis said on Monday that Saudi Arabia had carried out 119 strikes on several Houthi-held areas over the past 24 hours. Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that at least nine people were killed and seven others injured in airstrikes on Al-Jawf, a province near the border with Saudi Arabia.
Yemeni military spokesperson Majid al-Nuzaili said government forces had carried out 1,879 targeting operations against Houthi military targets in recent hours, claiming that about 950 Houthi fighters had been “neutralized”.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Tehran had “repeatedly expressed readiness” to facilitate dialogue between the warring parties, a day after Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart that Iran was ready to help initiate talks.
International Reaction
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that the Houthis were “misbehaving very badly”, adding “No good”, but gave no indication that the United States would intervene. Trump had earlier said Washington was “going to look at” the possibility of joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis.
Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told AFP that if the United States entered the war, there would be “a swift and painful response targeting the US and all its interests in the region”. He also warned workers to stay away from Saudi oil facilities and airports.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, while UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash called for reviving joint Gulf action on security and defence.
